KEVIN JENISON / GoSycamores.com

WEST LAFAYETTE, IND.  - The Indiana State men's track & field team picked up their second ever victory over the Purdue Boilermakers 82-79 while the Sycamore women were edge 73-89 as ISU fell just 13 points short of bringing the Edmonds Cup to Terre Haute for the first time in the 17 year history of the competition.

"It was a real competitive meet," John McNichols, Indiana State men's track & field coach said. "The men squeaked one out today. We had to win the relay at the end of the meet to take the victory much like the conference championship a year ago."

The Edmonds Cup is determined by the combined score of the men's and women's competitions with Purdue retaining the Cup with a 168-155 victory. The 13-point margin is the closest in Cup history, surpassing Purdue's 14 point win in 2003 when the Sycamore women won 81-78 while the men lost 88-71 and the 17-point Boilermaker win in 2005 when ISU lost 83-78 on the men's side and 87-75 on the women's side.

"This was a tough loss on the women's side because we through we would be a little closer," Angela Martin, Indiana State women's track & field coach, said. "We competed better than last week but just did not get it done."

The Sycamore men won nine of the 15 events as they recorded their first team victory since 2006 with the biggest win of the day coming in the final event. Indiana State needed a win in the 4x400 meter relay to secure the team win with Max Tuttle, Jonathan Jackson, Kevin Piraino, and Ryan Dickson combining for the winning effort in 3:17.00. Purdue was second in 3:17.74.

Sophomore Greggmar Swift set a new Edmonds Cup record as he remained undefeated in the 60 meter hurdles with a personal best time of 7.77 which broke the previous top mark set by former ISU All-American Aubrey Herring of 7.79 in 2000. Swift's time ties him for third best in school history with Will Lash who ran the time in 1996. Herring holds the ISU record at 7.61 which he set in 2001.

Sycamore senior Major Clay qualified for his third straight NCAA Indoor Championships after winning the high jump competition by clearing 7'-4.5" (2.24 meters) in his first competition of the 2012 indoor season. The height is just a half-inch below his leap of 7'-4.5" (2.25 meters) in 2011 which tied the school record of Steve Smith who cleared the height in 1991.

 Junior Brandon Pounds won his second straight weight throw competition with a distance of 66'-7.25" (20.30 meters) and placed second in his first shot put competition of the year with a distance of 53'-3.75" (16.25 meters).

Senior Ernest Rollins continues undefeated in the triple jump this season, winning at Purdue Saturday by going 47'-9.75" (14.57 meters). He also had a personal best in the long jump at 22'-3.75" (6.80 meters) to place fourth

Justin Baxtron won the 200 meters for the Sycamores with a time of 22.19 while Tuttle won the 400 meters in 49.34, Jackson the 600 meters with a personal best 1:20.83, and Jeremiah Vaughan the mile with a time of 4:10.92. Jackson's time in the 600 meters is the eighth best in school history.

Leo Cordova was second (6.93) and Baxtron fourth in the 60 meters, Cordova fourth in the 200 meters with a personal best 22.54, Dickson fifth in the 400 meters with a personal best 50.51, Remy Lewis fourth in the 600 meters with a personal best 1:26.22, Corey Hahn second in the 800 meters in 1:59.26, Albaro Escalera third in the mile in 4:20.20, Dustin Betz second (8:23.97) and Craig Padgett third (8:31.40), and Duane Brown third in the 60 hurdles (8.18).

Jonathan Christensen finished third in the high jump at 6'-7.5" (2.02 meters), Dexter Childress cleared a personal best 15'-11.25" (4.86 meters) for fourth in the pole vault while Steven Swinford was fifth at 15-7.25" (4.76 meters), Maurice Lyke third in the long jump at 23'-2.75" (7.08 meters), Piraino second in the triple jump at 45'-1.5" (13.75 meters), and Chris Fields third in the shot put with a personal best 52'-3.25" (15.93 meters) and third in the weight throw at 56'-6.75" (17.24 meters).

The Indiana State women won six of the 15 events but stayed close to the Boilermakers with numerous second and third place finishes.

Junior Felisha Johnson was a double-winner for the Sycamores as she took the shot put with a personal best distance of 54'-7.25" (16.64 meters) and the weight throw with a toss of 67'-2.75" (20.49 meters). Johnson broke the Edmonds Cup record in the shot put, outdistancing Purdue's Stacey Wannemacher who went 54'-0.5" (16.47 meters) in 2010. She also won the weight throw at the Edmonds Cup in 2011.

Johnson came within five-and-a-half inches or 16 centimeters of tying the school record of 55'-1.5" (16.80 meters) set by ISU Hall of Famer Christy Barrett in 1991. It is the second best shot put distance in school history.

Senior Nichole Hope won the pole vault for the third straight meet this season as she clearing 12'-9.5" (3.90 meters). ISU finished 1-2-3 in the event with Richelle Kimble second in clearing 12'-1.5" (3.70 meters) and Lauren Rice third by clearing a personal best 11'-9.75" (3.60 meters).

Junior Stacia Weatherford ran the third fasted 60 meter hurdle time in school history as she won the event in a personal best 8.74 seconds. Junior Leeann Michl was the other Sycamore individual winner as she cruised to victory in the 800 meters with a time of 2:14.24.

Weatherford, Shelby Higginbottom, Michl, and Macey Black combined for the other Sycamore victory as they won the 4x400 meter relay with a time of 3:50.71.

Mary Theisen was third in the shot put at 50'-10" (15.49 meters) and fourth in the weight throw at 56'-8.5" (17.28 meters). Shalesa Smith was third in the triple jump at 38'-6.75" (11.75 meters) and Carmelia Stewart fourth at 38'-1.5" (11.62 meters). Higginbottom took third in the long jump at 18'-2.25" (5.54 meters) with Kaisha Martin fourth at 16'-9.25" (5.11 meters). Nikki Snearley placed second in the high jump by clearing 5'-3" (1.60 meters) with Rachael Johnson third by also clearing 5'-3" (1.60 meters).

Jaquelle Spencer ran to a third place finish in the 60 meters (7.80) with Demetra Camble fifth (7.93). Camble came back with a personal best 25.73 to finish fourth in the 20 0meters with Martin fifth with a personal best 26.34. Higginbottom was second in the 400 meters (57.59) and Black fourth (59.00) while Weatherford finished second in the 600 meters (1:36.43) and Patricia Merrion fourth (1:40.37).

Kristy Twitchell was second in the 800 meters with a personal best 2:16.30, Kalli Dalton ran a personal best 5:09.36 to place third in the mile, Kacie Klem finished fifth in the mile (5:10.68), Jessica Zangmeister second in the 3,000 meters (10:14.34), and Valerie Burns third in the 3,000 meters (10:16.21). Gilles finished fourth in the 60 meter hurdles with a personal best 9.18.

This was the final dual meet of the indoor season for the Sycamores who will now compete on banked or oversized tracks the next three weeks as they begin to refine their performances for the 2012 MVC Indoor Championships. ISU will be in Bloomington, Ind., on Friday and Saturday next week for the Indiana Relays, compete at the Meyo Invitational in South Bend, Ind., on Feb. 3-4, and compete at the Grand Valley Big Meet in Allendale, Mich., on Feb. 10-11.